Psalms Sixty-Two Commentary

I. Introduction

We are unsure of the setting of this Psalm of David. There are a few verses that give an indication, but nothing definitive it seems.

We will follow this format:

Verse of Scripture utilizing the YLT text followed by an NASB mouse over of that verse. Key words in the YLT text will be footnoted with a link to a word study based on the Hebrew text, and/or a general discussion relative to the given word (we are not biblical Greek or Hebrew scholars, please consider our grammatical constructions with a critical eye).

Commentary We shall be commenting on this passage keeping before us at all times the crucial fact that every jot and every tittle comprising these verses came forth under the inspiration of the blessed Holy Spirit. We pray that He, by His grace, helps us along the way.

II. Psalms Sixty-two Commentary Verses

62:1-2- My God is Able, for Him Alone I Wait, Unfazed

YLT TEXT: To the Overseer,[1] for Jeduthun.[2] — A Psalm of David. Only– toward God is my soul silent,[3] From Him is my salvation. Only — He is my rock,[4] and my salvation,[5] My tower,[6] I am not much moved.[7] (Psa 62:1-2, cf. Psa 62:1-2, NLT).

COMMENTARY: David has settled with his Overseer; has settled with the One who makes sweet music, victory songs. David has settled with Him as settling in a high tower (does it not follow that the Overseer should dwell in a high tower?). David need not come “unglued,” not even a little bit: “…I am not much moved…”. He knows who his God is, that He alone is able, is willing, to bring about David’s salvation: “…Only – toward God is my soul silent. From Him is my salvation…” (Fig. 1). But how so; how does David know (even his) God in this way? He knows from experience! God, Jehovah God, manifested Himself a Champion to David in the heat and dust of David’s mortal Battles (right there, in that fiery furnace, with the stakes so high, one appreciates Him better, gets to know Him better; right there He constructs a foundation of faith in Himself that makes of naught future fiery furnaces; this is to His glory—He glorifies Himself thus). Does not God manifest Himself in this way to His own to the day? Amen. Let us not cower before our Battles, let us instead come to know the up-close-and-nearby Rock of our Salvation (“A Letter of Invitation”), who ever timely steps into the savage mix showing Himself a Champion, our Champion. This fellowship-of-knowing, of coming to know Almighty God Jehovah, precisely in the tight spots and pinches, is better than easy-life (counterintuitive yes, but true), and readily puts into perspective mundane life’s bites: they are as toothless bites when one knows the Almighty; He, the One graciously nearby; He, graciously at hand with His holy right arm bared (and with the other if you will lifting one up). It is best just to step back and watch Him work here, and Remember. Of a certainty there is need for none other in the tight spots and pinches: “…Only…” says David. See how David knows the Almighty; see how he identifies so crisply, identifies straightaway, this One he is quite familiar with—he shows his Champion and ours wearing many hats (crowns): “…He is my rock, and my salvation, My tower…”.[8] Rock, Salvation, Tower; David speaks from experience (here is descriptive praise melding into declarative praise). And again, there is need for none other in the heat and dust of Battle with such a One graciously at hand.

62:3- O How Low-browed Opportunists’ Hearts Wax Bold When They’ve Got the Numbers to do Evil

YLT TEXT: Till when do ye devise[9] mischief against a man? Ye are destroyed[10] all of you, As a wall inclined, a hedge that is cast down. (Psa 62:3, cf. Psa 62:3, NLT).

COMMENTARY: The many against the one. The odds are not good for the one (like unto a leaning wall and a tottering fence in a storm: “…As a wall inclined, a hedge that is cast down…”). Little men and little women do their best work with such odds; little men and little women do their best work when aligned with the many against the one (alone, our incarnate Jesus, beset all about, stood tall, tethered to God). Lynching, gossips, slanderers, false witnesses, scammers, propagandizing, tightly-tethered, God-bashers…, these all-alike smell like that; a grotesque stench, like their daddy Satan, that unclean thing, much smells like that.

Specifically, here, “the one man” was David, but we isolated this verse because we think that it is highly prophetic, and looks ahead to “the one Man” against whom were, and are, mischievously arrayed so many, the God-Man Jesus. That is why David says that “this one Man’s” enemies are all destroyed: “…Till when do ye devise mischief against a man? Ye are destroyed all of you…”. There is so much Jesus-centered prophecy in the Psalms of David, and it is not hard at all to spot, it jumps off the page. Let us remember why this is so: it is to magnify the Name of Jesus, to educate through the Word of God about Jesus, upon whom the entire program of God with man turns, and upon whom the revelation of God unfolds. And David perhaps more than any other (with the exception of Isaiah) was our God’s mouthpiece in that regard.

62:4-8- Trust in God at All Times

YLT TEXT: Only — from his excellency[11] They have consulted to drive away, They enjoy a lie, with their mouth they bless, And with their heart revile. Selah. Only — for God, be silent, O my soul, For from Him is my hope. Only — He is my rock and my salvation, My tower, I am not moved. On God is my salvation, and my honour, The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. Trust in Him at all times, O people,[12] Pour forth before Him your heart, God[13] is a refuge for us.[14] Selah. (Psa 62:4-8, cf. Psa 62:4-8, NLT).

COMMENTARY: God is now ready to employ the vehicle of contrast in a setting that is familiar to all in order to drive home the point that trusting in Him is always the smart thing to do. In this verse set and the next David (the Holy Spirit), by way of exposing the deceit and hypocrisy that serves the selfish nature of the human heart, shows the exceeding blessing of having One such as righteous (not least, selfless) Jehovah to trust in (our God’s triune Name Elohim is utilized in context; it is the Name that reminds us of His surpassing power and strength and capacity to do [as in, for example, Creation]). First, here follow some simple people-facts that mature folks know. People have agendas, and oftentimes one becomes caught up in those agendas, and one never knows to what extent one is being lied to, or schemed against, or used, in the way of others attaining their agendas. Smiling faces, pats on the back, may just as well be a disguised, outstretched tongue in the face and a dagger in the back: “…They enjoy a lie, with their mouth they bless, And with their heart revile…”. This is painful stuff. They hurt David in this way (painful experiences here, and otherwise, he did not forget). Down through the ages their kin-in-spirit hurt folks like you and me when we are a stumbling block to them (as would be the case oftentimes for the Christian). Please allow a theological aside: This painful stuff is but one in a long laundry list of painful stuff that our God had in mind to fix through Jesus: ‘…I’ve come to make all things new…’ says Jesus (Isa 42:9, Rom 8:9-10, 2Cr 5:17, Eph 2:10, Rev 21:5, et al.). Praised be your Name great savior God. And so now under inspiration David spells out the smart thing to do (please notice that he is redundant here per his utterances above): “…Only – for God, be silent, O my soul, For from Him is my hope. Only – He is my rock and my salvation, My tower, I am not moved. On God is my salvation, and my honour, The rock of my strength, my refuge is in God. [and now having appreciated that salvation which he had experienced before, over against the painful stuff, he straightaway reminds himself of the smart thing to do, right on the heels of this redundant declarative praise—do catch it]. Trust in Him at all times, O people, Pour forth before Him your heart…” (red font and highlighting added). Let us break it down, this smart thing he does. (1) He trusts in God at all times, and (2) he pours forth his heart before God, at all times it would follow. These things he knows he cannot do with anyone or anything but God; this he learned by way of God’s salvation over against his painful experiences at the hands of both people, and things, both of which let him down, and worse, did him harm. Notice that he makes an appeal to people here, other God-fearers like himself, because he wants to spare them the disappointment and futility and hurt of misplaced trust, and so in the spirit of a brother in Christ he reminds the people of God that God is our refuge. It is lovely how he uses “us” here: “…God is a refuge for us…”. God loved this man David’s heart; He said in fact that David’s heart was like unto His own (imagine that). Small wonder. Jesus spoke of “us,” we and He, like that too (Mat 12:50, 28:10, Jhn 14:23, 15:14-15, 20:17,21:15-17, Col 3:11, et al.). That sort of “us-talk” is pastor-talk; it is ministry (Family-of-God)-talk; it is the stuff-of-heaven-talk.

62:9-10- People (whatever their class or estate) Cannot Be Trusted, Much Less Cheating or Wealth

YLT TEXT: Only — vanity are the low,[15] a lie the high.[16] In balances to go up they than vanity are lighter. Trust not in oppression,[17] And in robbery become not vain, Wealth — when it increaseth — set not the heart. (Psa 62:9-10, cf. Psa 62:9-10, NLT).

COMMENTARY: Here now in this verse set we are given some busy trust-competitors to Jehovah God; these are the not-so-smart options, the negative, in this running instruction that sobers by calling to mind contrasting trust experiences. Here they are, these trust competitors: (1) common folk, and that would be most everybody, and (2) the powerful. So why is trusting these a flop according to Scripture? Because the former are highly constrained from within and from without, and the latter but give the impression of power; they are in fact not powerful enough, long enough, to do one any lasting good. One cannot trust something that is so constrained that it must needs look outside itself in trust for this and that and the other, and no more can one trust something that is not what it appears to be. But God is not constrained, and is precisely who and what He says He is (how about one good proof of this? The life and ministry of Jesus Christ), (3) oppression (extortion, unjust gain), (4) robbery, (5) wealth: “…Only – vanity are the low, a lie the high. In balances to go up they than vanity are lighter. Trust not in oppression, And in robbery become not vain, Wealth – when it increaseth – set not the heart…”.

62:11-12- Powerful and Just is the Lovingkind One Jehovah, I Trust Him

YLT TEXT: Once hath God spoken, twice I heard this, That ‘strength[18] is with God.’ And with Thee, O Lord, is kindness, For Thou dost recompense[19] to each, According to his work! (Psa 62:11-12, cf. Psa 62:11-12, NLT).

COMMENTARY: The one to be trusted is the One who is powerful, the One who has the capacity to help, and has the capacity to recompense with perfect justice. The One to be trusted is the One who is motivated by thoroughgoing lovingkindness for all concerned. This formidable, lovingkind One is Jehovah, the great Jehovah God.

Praised be your Name great Jehovah God, my Helper and Friend, my strong right Arm. Amen.